{
  "id": "RS20603",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS20603",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 102443,
      "date": "2000-06-19",
      "retrieved": "2016-05-24T20:35:43.490941",
      "title": "Noncommercial Broadcasting Freedom of Expression Act of 2000: Summary and Background of Related Legal Issues",
      "summary": "On December 29, 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an order\napproving the license transfer of WQEX--a noncommercial educational television station--from\nWQED (the license holder) to Cornerstone Television, Inc, a broadcaster that engages primarily in\nreligious programming. In approving the transfer, the FCC issued \"additional guidance\" on the\neducational programming requirements applicable to noncommercial educational (NCE) television\nlicensees and concluded that \"programming primarily devoted to religious exhortation, proselytizing,\nor statements of personally held religious views and beliefs generally would not qualify as `general\neducational' programming.\" Amid a firestorm of complaints and criticism over the order, the FCC\nreconsidered and vacated the \"additional guidance\" on January 28, 2000. \n Despite the recission, there has been continuing concern over the remnants of the analysis\nunderlying the FCC's ruling and its potential impact on future decisions by the agency to grant NCE\nlicenses to religious broadcasters. In response,  H.R. 4201 --the \"Noncommercial\nBroadcasting Freedom of Expression Act of 2000 \"--seeks to statutorily \"clarify the service\nobligations of noncommercial educational broadcast stations.\" This report will provide a summary\nof the bill and background on the issues that led to its introduction. The report will be updated as\nwarranted by legislative action.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
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          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RS20603",
          "sha1": "92b78b1192b1c60f0872bb7a85fd5103ac40beea",
          "filename": "files/20000619_RS20603_92b78b1192b1c60f0872bb7a85fd5103ac40beea.pdf",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20000619_RS20603_92b78b1192b1c60f0872bb7a85fd5103ac40beea.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law"
  ]
}